Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical heating device for a motor vehicle, which includes at least one heating element and at least one printed circuit board, the printed circuit board having at least one contacting area for establishing an electrical connection between the heating element and an energy source, the heating element having a plurality of PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heating elements, which are electrically conductively connected to each other by a contact element.
Description of the Background Art
Electrical heating devices generally have at least one heating element, which may be heated by applying an electrical voltage. The heat may be conducted to a heat sink with the aid of fins or other thermally conductive elements. The heat sink may thus be heated with the aid of the heating element. The electrical heating devices furthermore generally have a regulating device, with the aid of which the electrical voltage may be regulated.
Electrical heating devices which are known in the conventional art often have a connecting system which connects the heating elements to the regulating device and/or to the voltage source. The connecting system may be formed, for example, by a male connecting part and a female connecting part, which are plugged into each other to establish a connection. Mechanical disturbance variables, which act upon the heating device, are generated during the connection of the connecting parts. This takes place, in particular, while the connections are being established or when the connections are released. This may result in damage to the electrical heating device. In particular, if the individual heating elements are connected to the regulating device and/or the voltage source via a shared conductor strand, the mounting or removal of an individual heating element inevitably results in a mechanical load on the other heating elements, which may cause damage.
The connecting system may furthermore be subject to corrosion and exposed to moisture. This is due to the fact that achieving a sufficient sealing of the connecting system is associated with a very high degree of complexity.
The penetration of moisture may result in corrosion and thus cause a malfunction or a failure of the electrical heating device. In particular, with regard to the use of an electrical heating device in motor vehicles, shocks and mechanical disturbance variables must furthermore be expected, which also have a negative impact on the durability of the connecting system. The electrical heating devices are normally used to additionally provide an electrical heating power to the internal combustion engine. In electrically driven motor vehicles, the electrical heating devices may also generate the entire heating power needed.